overview

in the 50-year water supply master plan, the city of guelph is considering several alternatives to meet guelph’s future water needs. with the exception of the pipeline, all other viable options further develop guelph’s existing water supplies. construction of a pipeline to a distant source will create:

• an expensive pipeline and pumping system
• a perception of water as a ‘limitless’ resource, undermining the drive to use water wisely
• urban sprawl instead of “smart growth”
• loss of local and public control of water
• uncertainty in future water security due to climate change

economic problems

• the capital cost of installing the pipeline is expected to be in excess of $649 million (guelph water supply master plan draft final report, 2006)
• this figure does not include the money required for maintenance and the energy costs associated with pumping water over a distance of at least 150km, uphill
• to pay for the pipeline, user rates will increase, leading to higher monthly bills for water

environmental problems

• the proposed pipeline will have “moderate to high potential adverse impacts to natural heritage features, including:
  • provincially significant wetlands
  • environmentally significant areas
  • sensitive species habitat (vulnerable/ threatened/ endangered or locally/ regionally rare)” (guelph water supply master plan draft final report, 2006)
• the pipeline will have the capacity to withdraw 1.8 billion litres of water per day from lake erie

alternatives to the pipeline